Safety & Security
Secure Campus Policy
Carolina Day School is committed to providing a safe, secure, and orderly environment for our students, employees, and visitors. As a private school, our campus and facilities are private property, and access is a privilege granted by the School.
Our Secure Campus Policy establishes when and how students, families, employees, visitors, alumni, and members of the broader community may access campus. The policy applies to all School-owned and School-leased property, including buildings, athletic fields, parking areas, trails, playgrounds, and other grounds.
Business Hours
CDS’s normal Business Hours are 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m., Monday–Friday. This is when families and visitors can come to campus or call about school business and the school offices are open and staff are available to give assistance. (Business Hours are adjusted during the summer months.)
Parents & Guardians
Parents and guardians may access campus during published arrival and dismissal windows, when attending a specific School-sponsored event, for a scheduled appointment, or for another approved purpose.
All visitors must check in at the appropriate School office, present photo identification for the visitor management system, state the purpose of their visit, and receive and visibly display a visitor badge while on campus (see below).
Visitors & Security
We ask all visitors to help us maintain a safe and secure campus by following our visitor procedures:
- Check in: All visitors, including parents, alumni, and vendors, must check in at the main office at Love Hall or McGregor Hall.
- Present identification: Visitors must present photo identification for the School's visitor management system.
- Wear a visitor badge: Visitors will receive a badge and must visibly display it for the duration of their visit.
- Stay within your approved purpose: Visitors should remain in the areas appropriate to their scheduled visit and follow any directions provided by School personnel.
All building entrances remain locked during the school day as part of our access-control procedures.
Visitors who fail to abide by visitor guidelines for visitors may be asked to leave school property and may be subject to future restrictions regarding school visits. Law enforcement may also be contacted.
Events & After-Hours Activities
While school is in session, approved activities and extended campus operation hours—including early drop-off, afterschool care, athletic practices and games, performances, student clubs, CDS events, and other school-sponsored programs—permit parents, students, and alumni extended access to specific areas of campus during scheduled times.
Access during these events is limited to the specific buildings, fields, or other areas designated for the event and to the published event time. Once the scheduled activity concludes, the campus returns to secure status.
Alumni & Community Use
We value our alumni and broader community and welcome appropriate opportunities to share our campus. However, alumni status or community membership does not provide standing access to campus.
Alumni and community members who would like to visit campus or use School facilities must receive prior approval. Outside organizations, clubs, leagues, camps, and other non-CDS groups must also complete the School's facility-use approval process before using athletic fields, courts, gyms, or other facilities.
No Public Access
Our campus is private property and not open to the public. Our grounds are closed to the general public at all times, including evenings and weekends.
Outside of designated hours and scheduled activities, drop-in or recreational use of campus is not permitted without prior approval. This includes athletic fields, playgrounds, trails, parking lots, and other campus grounds.
Campus access is also prohibited to CDS community members when the School is officially closed, including for inclement weather, holidays, and published school breaks (see Calendar).